Learn about hamstring shortening

One problem that many athletes ignore is hamstring tightness. To begin with, the hamstrings are the knee flexor muscles, located in the back of the leg, an area that is very prone to weakness, tears and contractions.

Hamstring tightness is a decrease in the length of the muscle that causes a dysfunction in the contractile abilities, reducing the essential mobility for those who practice sports like the martial arts that demands movements in which this muscle can be compromised. This problem can occur mainly for two reasons:

1. Spending a lot of time in a sitting position (people who work all day in offices are likely to suffer this). 2. Muscle imbalance between the Quadriceps and the Hamstrings (usually the quadricepses have more strength and are used more than the hamstrings). Gladiators, the good thing is that this problem can be avoided and/or corrected following these useful recommendations: - Perform stretching and muscle extension exercises to lengthen the muscle (Ask your therapist or trainer for specific types of stretching). - Afterwards, you should start strengthening with eccentric exercises (where the muscle strengthens and stretches at the same time). - If you spend a lot of time in a sitting position, get up every 2 hours to stretch and walk (minimum 5 minutes every 2 hours). This not only helps you improve the flexibility of your body, but also to relaxes your mind.

These are simple tips to follow to avoid the problem of tightness and improve your flexibility.

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